The rebuilding of the Shock has been a grueling process, but in 2014 a light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

Skylar Diggins made the leap into stardom. Odyssey Sims arrived as a readymade second scorer out of the backcourt. Courtney Paris came into her own.

While the season ended with the Shock missing the playoffs for the fifth straight year since the three-time champions’ move to Tulsa, it was a building block toward what is shaping up to be a breakout 2015.

Here’s what to watch for in Tulsa this season:

The evolution of Skylar Diggins.

After a quiet rookie season, Diggins delivered an epic sophomore campaign, emerging as the All-Star lead guard she was expected to be coming out of Notre Dame — not to mention the league’s Most Improved Player and second-leading scorer (20.1 PPG). She shouldered a massive workload, came through in the clutch and rarely took a breather (league-high 1,192 minutes played).

Diggins’ third season will be about translating that individual success into team success, a phase that all great players enter at some point in their careers. That will involve scoring more efficiently, cutting down on youthful mistakes and setting the tone on the defensive end.

The rise of Odyssey Sims.

What makes the Shock’s future (potentially) so bright is not that they have a dynamic guard leading the way; it’s that they have two dynamic guards leading the way.

Sims joined Diggins last season as another explosive duel threat out of the backcourt, ranking second on the team in points (16.7) and assists (4.2) per game. The No. 2 pick in the 2014 Draft following Diggins’ No. 3 overall selection in 2013, Sims could develop into a second star if she makes similar strides.

Enter Zahui B.

Armed with a Top 3 draft pick for the third straight year, the Shock went big this time around. No. 2 pick Amanda Zahui B. has the makings of a force down low to complement the team’s All-Star caliber threats on the perimeter.

With Diggins and Sims in tow, Tulsa doesn’t need Zahui B. to be a savior. But it will be interesting to see what kind of immediate impact the First Team All-American makes after posting two dominant collegiate seasons and leaving the University of Minnesota early.

Patrolling the paint

Tulsa’s third-ranked offense in 2014 stemmed from more than just its backcourt. The Shock also received an unexpected boost from Courtney Paris, who found her footing in her fifth WNBA season following a historic career at Oklahoma.

Paris tied for the league lead in rebounding (10.2 RPG) while teammate Glory Johnson tied for third (9.2 RPG), providing an inside presence that will be crucial to maintain this season.

Can they finish games?

The Shock finished the 2014 season at 12-22 — tied for last in the league — despite being outscored by an average of just 2.0 points per game. That speaks to their fourth-quarter misfortune in recent years as the ultimate close-but-no-cigar team.

Tulsa’s success in 2015 could hinge on its ability to make winning plays in crunch time, an ability that will start with building a defense (108.9 Defensive Rating, last in the league) to complement the fast-paced offense (106.3 Offensive Rating, third in the league).